A Virginia city Business Insider once listed as 46th in America’s top 50 most miserable cities was mostly all smiles on a grey, overcast morning as hundreds queued for the opening of the Caesars Virginia in Danville.
Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones said people were lining up from 5am for the Monday grand opening, which began with ribbon-cutting formalities. Virginia-based sports and news writer Ryan Stone took to Twitter with a video of the huge crowd waiting to enter the 40,000-square-foot temporary casino:
Mayor Jones said some attendees drove for hours to get to the Caesars Virginia launch and that he was not expecting such a turnout. He added, however, that customers visiting from North and South Carolina was just the outcome Danville had desired.
“We want to become a destination […] and look at us today,” Jones enthused from the temporary casino that Caesars started campaigning for in 2020.
Before I go to work, I figured come in here and get me a couple of dollars.”
WDBJ cited a Virginia resident excited to play the slot machines, of which the temporary casino has over 700, in addition to approximately 50 electronic and live table games. Timmy Petty, who hails from the city of South Boston, said because the casino is 30 minutes from his home: “Before I go to work, I figured come in here and get me a couple of dollars.”
He added: “This is easy money. I like that.”
Mayor Jones is also not worried about any of Danville’s criminal elements preying on the likes of Petty. “We’ve got a brand new police station right next door. Our security team is right here at Caesars is working hand in hand with our police department,” the mayor assured.